Early Version of 'The Crossing' Session
D. Christen | Rushville, IN United States | 04/01/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This album is interesting for Big Country Fans because it shows how 'The Crossing' came together. This CD includes all the tracks from the first Big Country Album in early stage versions including a couple of songs which later on appeared on b-sides and also some previously unreleased tracks. The Sound quality is pretty good for 'demo versions' and the highlights to me are the versions of 'Harvest Home', the more 'heavy' version of 'Porrohman' and a great toake of 'Fields of Fire'. However, if you are not a Big Country collector, buy any of their original studio albums first or the fantastic live double CD 'Come out Screaming'. The tracks on this CD are :
Heart and Soul (Version 1)
In a Big Country
Inwards
Chance
A thousand Stars
The Storm
Harvest Home
Lost Patrol
Close Action
Fields of Fire
Porrohman
Angle Park
The Crossing
Big City
Ring out Bells
Echoes
Wake
Heart and Soul (Version 2)The CD also includes a CD ROM featuring video clips and a photo gallery."
It's difficult to tell . . .
D. Wolf | Rochester, NY USA | 08/18/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This is a difficult CD to rate for me. It consists of alternative versions of songs from the first Big Country CD, "The Crossing," and not one song on rarities surpasses the final cut on the debut, but the songs are very interesting. I like "In a Big Country" better on the Crossing, but I very much like this version as well. The same holds true for "Inwards," "Harvest Home," "A Thousand Stars," "Fields of Fire" and "Chance." "Porrohman" which is the real stand-out for me on "The Crossing" surpasses on IV in a few places and falls short in others, ultimately falling well short of the version released more than twenty years ago. The new songs (14 - 17) are nothing special, and I confess I was disappointed. Overall, I am glad I spent the money, and even though it will not get the play from me that "The Crossing" got, I will work some of these songs into my rotation, and I would recommend the CD to anyone who loves this band.
Let me add this: although Amazon does not carry Rarities VII and VIII, these CDs are available (VII is particularly amazing) and any Big Country fans ought to do whatever they need to in order to get them."
A "Must" for die-hard "Crossing" fans
Thomas O. Morrison | Ogdensburg, NY United States | 03/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For someone who bought "The Crossing" when it first came out, wore out several cassette copies of it, wore out a couple of cd copies of it, and who listens to the "Crossing" frequently, this "Rarities" is a dream disk. The alternate/demo versions of the songs show a slightly different arrangement, different vocals/lyrics occassionally and just enough difference to make the songs jolt forward in your mind again just how great they are. Going back and forth between the Crossing and this album makes it a lot of fun to listen to the songs over and over again. Highly recommended if you love the "Crossing" (but maybe not as a "first-encounter" with Big Country - go with the "Crossing" first)."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1